Turn Back Yesterday
by May Chang
Summary: Gambit goes back to undo his mistakes. Second part is up and complete. This fic has spoilers up to XMen 186.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Turn Back Yesterday  
Author: May Chang  
Warnings: angst, AU, POV  
Pairings: past Gambit x Rogue  
Spoilers: Up to X-Men #186  
Disclaimers: "X-Men" is the property of Marvel.

Author's Note: This is a what-if scenario that came into being after watching the movie "Frequency" and reading up on the concept of "The Butterfly Effect". You definintely need to know about the "House of M" series and the current issues of "X-Men" to understand this fic. Also, I'm not sure yet, but this fic might become a multi-part fic. Really, it just depends on if I want to finish or not. :p

* * *

**Turn Back Yesterday**

* * *

He had done it so long ago. He had believed that Apocalypse would be the savior, the one who would help all of mutant-kind in a harsh new reality. He had already accepted the fact that when he joined Apocalypse, he had essentially turned his back against the X-Men and would be fighting against them.

He would be fighting against family again.

When he first faced off against Rogue as one of Apocalypse's Horsemen, it was like clawing out of a nightmare. He would have crushed her skull beneath his boot without a thought. Fortunately his love for her was still strong.

It was then that Death realized that the mutant Gambit was still alive within him and he tried to keep his past self safe.

He faced her again, but this time, with War and Pestilence by his side, Death succeeded in driving back the X-Men. Gambit hid in the shadows of Death's mind as he fought his former family. Famine – no, Sunfire – tried to interfere, but they drove him back as well. They stood before the mutants, before all of humanity and watched as Apocalypse released the virus into the world.

Gambit cried and screamed and sobbed in the shadows as Death watched, and Death wondered why he felt so damn guilty.

It was months after the virus when the survivors fought back. By then Apocalypse had found other former mutants and changed them into mindless followers. The mutant once known as Marrow was chosen to become the new Famine. The irony amused Gambit and puzzled Death, and they both began to wonder why they were here. Death continued to obey Apocalypse as Gambit whispered to himself in the back of his mind his reasons, though now they sounded doubtful. Death chose not to reveal Ozymandias's location to Apocalypse as he listened to the whispers of his former self.

After two weeks battling the rebels, Apocalypse began to upgrade his Horsemen. During one of the fights with the rebels, Death had been able to wound the shape-shifter Mystique. Apocalypse had taken the remaining blood and gave Death the ability to shape-shift. He tried to give the give to the other three, but Famine, War and Pestilence reacted badly to the gift. His master also chose to heighten his kinetic powers to the point where he can charge an item just by looking at it. Thankfully he couldn't charge organic materials.

Gambit gave a cynical thank-you to Mr. Sinister and a muttered curse at the fact that he now had Mystique's DNA in him. Death chose not to care.

He saw her again, months later, flying through the air with one of the former Fantastic Four, the Human Torch, as they fought together against Apocalypse's minions. He watched as Famine and Pestilence fought against the two and, for the first time since he was created, Death wondered why he was here.

Gambit replied quietly that it was once because he had believed that Apocalypse was doing this for the future. He thought that it was the only way for harmony between humans and mutants. Death looked out into the battlefield and replied that the only harmony between humans and mutants was in the war right now. Gambit was silent before he uttered three words to Death.

"I was wrong."

* * *

Death still obeyed Apocalypse's commands, but now Gambit wanted to make up for his wrongs. He found Ozymandias in one of the smaller chambers in the Sphinx. The scribe had looked frightened at first, but after an explanation to the scribe that Death and Gambit were now one once again and didn't want the war, he quickly warmed up to the idea of destroying Apocalypse once and for all. He told Ozymandias the plans, where Apocalypse will be and the weak points for the Horsemen. 

He told Ozymandias that he alone will be the death of Apocalypse.

He wasn't sure how the scribe made contact with the rebels but within a week, they had launched an attack. He watched in the shadows as the rebels easily dispatched Famine and Pestilence. He watched as Ozymandis shoved the glaive through War's heart. He listened to Apocalypse bellowing for him before weakly falling to his knees as the other thief Pulse began to null him.

Death slipped out of the shadows and walked up to his master, ignoring the rebels as he placed a hand on Apocalypse's shoulder.

"You betrayed me," Apocalypse rasped.

"You lied to me," Death replied easily before he filled his creator's lungs with toxic gas. He watched as Apocalypse gasp and cough and choke, struggling for air as he tried to push away Death. Moments later both Apocalypse and Death were dead.

Gambit had returned to the land of the living.

There was silence as he looked at the rebels and frowned. They all looked older, streaks of gray lining their hairs, bags under their eyes.

"Remy?"

It was her and he turned to her, taking in the sight of her. She was older, her hair streaked with gray, a hard look on her heart-shape face. She was still beautiful though in his eyes and he realized in that moment that he was totally unworthy for her. He bowed his head to her before he began to back away.

They tried to stop him, but he was able to blow up enough of the walls in the Sphinx to block them. He listened to her screaming his name, relishing it for the last time before he turned and walked away.

* * *

Time crawled for him now. He wasn't sure if it was Apocalypse's tampering or Mystique's DNA in him, but as he stood there before Rogue's grave, it made him sad. Gambit would have gladly joined her in death, but he was afraid of death. 

The irony of Death afraid of death made Gambit smile, albeit bitterly.

Three days after his visit to her grave, Gambit found himself at the Sphinx. The ship was in disrepair, but he found the scribe still there. Ozymandias looked rather surprise to see the former Horseman here, but gleefully told Gambit a way to change the present.

And Gambit chose to follow that path.

* * *

"Wanda Maximoff?"

She gave him a startled look before nodding her head in response. He just stood there as he looked at her.

"You are Wanda Maximoff," he said slowly, "otherwise known as the Scarlet Witch?"

"Yes," she replied cautiously. He stared at her for a moment, watching as her stance changed to a defensive stance. He took in the sight of her one last time.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her and changed the air around her into poison.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Turn Back Yesterday  
Author: May Chang  
Warnings: angst, AU, POV  
Pairings: past Gambit x Rogue  
Spoilers: Up to X-Men #186  
Disclaimers: "X-Men" is the property of Marvel.

Author's Note: This is a what-if scenario that came into being after watching the movie "Frequency" and reading up on the concept of "The Butterfly Effect". You definintely need to know about the "House of M" series and the current issues of "X-Men" to understand this fic. Also, I'm not sure yet, but this fic might become a multi-part fic. Really, it just depends on if I want to finish or not. :p

* * *

**Turn Back Yesterday**

* * *

**  
**

He didn't think of himself as Death or Gambit anymore. After all that has transpired, he felt that neither name suited him anymore. He just thought of himself as Remy, although he remembered the joke he had muttered to himself when Joseph was with the X-Men. Somehow, he couldn't see himself as a James, so he returned to calling himself Remy. It was easier in the end.

Xavier was at Genosha when he infiltrated the Institute. Shifting into Logan, he stalked down the halls towards the greenhouse, feeling amused at the sight of people getting out of his way quickly. He remembered times when he and Rogue would be there, sitting on a bench and talking quietly to one another as Storm tended to her garden. Storm was in Africa now, but that didn't stop them from meeting there.

He paused for a moment, watching as his past self argue with her before she stormed out of the house angrily. Slipping into the greenhouse and shifting into Mystique – a form he discovered to be just as comfortable as when he shifted into his past self, something that frightened and disgusted him – he stayed in the shadows and slipped up behind his past self. He took out his staff, but didn't lengthen it. Instead he pressed the staff at the base of Gambit's spine. Gambit stiffened.

"Now, now, Gambit," he cooed in Mystique's voice. "As fast as you are, I don't think you'd risk getting your spine blown to pieces."

"Mystique," the other hissed. Remy winced at the name before he pressed the staff harder into Gambit's back.

"I don't know what Rogue sees in you," Remy said, his words laced with Mystique's malice. "It certainly can't be your charm."

"Ah, but all de ladies love me fo' my charm," Gambit replied airily. Remy wondered if he actually sounded like such an ass at times, and realized that yes, he did sound like that sometimes.

"Probably," he replied, throwing the impression of a sneer at Gambit. "But are you worthy for her?"

There was silence.

"I ask you this because you're starting to wonder about your position here with the X-Men," Remy said. "All you do now is take orders and woo Rogue. Whatever happened to thinking for yourself, Cajun?"

"You're not Mystique," Gambit said, his voice harsh.

"No, I'm not, but Mystique does make a fine devil's advocate."

"Who are you?"

"I'm nobody," Remy replied. "A nobody who thinks you should take a hiatus from the X-Men soon to get your priorities straight before it's too late."

"What?"

The door crashed open and Remy grabbed the nape of Gambit's coat and flung him hard at the door's direction. Pulling out four cards, he charged it and threw it between him and the others, exploding the ground between him. He turned and crashed through the glass, mentally apologizing to Storm for the action before he shifted into a wolf.

He ran away as fast as he could away from the Institute, away from his past self, away from her.

* * *

Egypt was hot. Dressed as he was, it was an understatement, but Remy dealt with it the best he could. Remy had also taken on the form of his past self, only he decided to keep the long white hair, a testament of his sin. He walked down the streets of Cairo, careful of the pickpockets that roamed about as he made his way to the hotel. He could feel Apocalypse sleeping close by. He wanted to end what may happen soon.

And perhaps if he survived, he would give Storm a proper farewell.

Staring at himself in the mirror that night, he wondered what Gambit would do, now that he had told the man to take some time away from her and the X-Men. He wondered what changes that talk had done to the future for Gambit and Rogue. He wondered about the future of both humans and mutants now that he had killed the Scarlet Witch.

He wondered how badly Magneto and Quicksilver wanted to kill him.

Morning found him riding through the desert in a jeep, the back with enough fuel to take him to Apocalypse and back. Maybe there was enough gas to take him to Kenya to see Storm just one last time.

Maybe.

* * *

Ozymandias proved to be as useful now as he was in the future, once Remy had scared the scribe thoroughly as Death. He found Ozymandias just as happy to see Apocalypse dead as before. Walking through chambers after chambers, Remy easily bypassed Apocalypse's guards until he reached the room where Apocalypse slept. Before the grand doors, two of the largest killing-machines stood before the double doors, guarding their master.

Well, he always did like to come into a room with a bang.

He walked out and flung out cards at the two guards almost casually before moving in swiftly into the fight. It was easy to take down the guards; he had studied them well when he was still one of Apocalypse's minions. As the guards crashed into the ground, Remy pushed open the doors. Before him, he could see that Apocalypse was still asleep.

Remy smiled.

* * *

"Hey Stormy."

"Wh—Remy! What are you doing here?"

"Needed a break an' ta see how you were doin'." Storm smiled and Remy smiled back in response. He couldn't help himself.

"You look like hell. And what did you do to your hair?"

"Rough gettin' here. De heat ain' as bad as I t'ought it'd be though. De hair? Dat's a long story, mebbe I tell you when you come back ta de States."

"You better. Will you be staying here?"

"Nah, got ta be back t' Cairo by t'morrow. Plane ride back t' de states."

"And Scott has been a pain in the ass, right."

"Is Scottie ever not a pain in de ass?" She laughs and he chuckles along with her. He then pulls her into a tight hug, breathing in her scent and remembering the feel of her in his arms. He then hears Sage's voice calling for her via the goggles.

"Remy?" He lets go of her and looks her in the eye.

"See ya' Stormy. Don' let dat boy o' yours coddle you too much." He kisses her temple and walks away.

* * *

He raises an eyebrow at the sign: X-Factor Investigations. Apparently someone on the team was sentimental enough to put that as their business name. He knocks on the door and then lets himself in. Jamie looks up from his desk and blinks in surprise. Monet, Guido and Rahne look equally surprised as Remy strolls into the office, closing the door behind him. He just smiles innocently at Jamie.

"Ya don' mind if I crash on your couch t'night, Jamie?"


End file.
